Prompt: In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements? How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes? What similarities, if any, did you see between the descriptions of American classes in the Teaching Gap and the Game of School? Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy
Observe: During the course of this semester, I have been given the opportunity to observe several different high school mathematics and physics classrooms. During this time I have certainly witnessed the "Game of School" all around me. The game permeates throughout most of the school (and this is how it is for the majority of schools) and I can definitely see aspects of it in all of the classes that I have observed. The players of this game include both the students and the teachers. I'll start by recounting what I have witnessed with the students. I've seen students who are not paying attention and who are simply trying to do the least amount of work in order to get by. I've heard students talking to each other about determining how hard they should study in order to get a certain grade. I've also watched as students constantly check the time throughout class, waiting and wishing for the bell to ring so that they can be dismissed and move on the the next class in which they will act in a similar fashion. Some students seem to think that school is simply something that they are forced to do and they are looking to just get on with it. I've seen students try to persuade their teachers to give them less work and offer them extra credit so that they won't have to work as hard for a given grade. A lot of things that students do in the classroom has to do with "getting by". The same can be said about the teachers (not Mr. Varden and Mrs. Livingston however). I've witnessed teachers in the lunch room talking about how much the dislike their classes. They talk about how they watch the clock and can't wait for the bell because they can't stand the students. I've seen them use worksheets from textbooks without ever looking over the worksheets ahead of time to ensure that it aligns with their curriculum. This enables them to put less effort into preparing for class. I've also seen teachers simply show an unrelated video to their class to "kill" class time and make the day go by faster. The elements that I witnessed at Westerly high school for both the teachers and the students are very similar to those discussed in the article that we read at the beginning of the semester. All of these aspects of the "Game of School" I have witnessed around me but I have also witnessed teachers attempting to battle the GOS. Mr. Varden tries to break students of the mindset of "let's get it done and get on with it". He stresses the importance of understanding the material and understanding why the material is useful to them and to their lives. Mr. Varden prepares well for each and every class period and tries to keep the lesson interesting and keep his students engaged. He incorporates mini labs and group work so that the students can engage in hands-on and cooperative learning experiences. He tries to make the lessons engaging enough that the students won't want to constantly check the clock. Mr. Varden also does not give tests that are worth a ton of points. He doesn't want to pressure the students and cause stressful situations so he assesses them constantly so that each assessment is not a do or die situation. This helps the students to be not overly concerned with their grades. These methods seem to work because the students seem to be truly engaged in the lessons and they don't seem to be thinking about "getting on with it"
Reflect: As I prepare to step in front of my own classes in the future, I will make a conscious effort to recognize elements of the "Game of School" around me. I think that if teachers are conscious of this it is easier for them to mend the situation and create a more effective learning environment. From the very beginning I will stress to my students that I care about helping them understand and enjoy the subject of physics. I want to help them come to see the subject the way that I do and appreciate the practicality and usefulness of the concepts. I will implement similar strategies to Mr. Varden and I will attempt to eliminate stressful situations in my classroom. I don't want to give any high stakes examinations but rather I want to give constant mini assessments that will allow me to gauge how much my students truly understand the material. By doing this I will help the realize that the grade that they receive is not the important part of school. I will also strive to make my lessons engaging and meaningful which will help the students forget about the GOS and become consumed in the topic of the lesson. I am excited to battle the GOS in the future and create a learning environment that is truly free of all aspects of this game!
Observe:
During the course of this semester, I have been given the opportunity to observe several different high school mathematics and physics classrooms. During this time I have certainly witnessed the "Game of School" all around me. The game permeates throughout most of the school (and this is how it is for the majority of schools) and I can definitely see aspects of it in all of the classes that I have observed. The players of this game include both the students and the teachers. I'll start by recounting what I have witnessed with the students.
I've seen students who are not paying attention and who are simply trying to do the least amount of work in order to get by. I've heard students talking to each other about determining how hard they should study in order to get a certain grade. I've also watched as students constantly check the time throughout class, waiting and wishing for the bell to ring so that they can be dismissed and move on the the next class in which they will act in a similar fashion. Some students seem to think that school is simply something that they are forced to do and they are looking to just get on with it. I've seen students try to persuade their teachers to give them less work and offer them extra credit so that they won't have to work as hard for a given grade. A lot of things that students do in the classroom has to do with "getting by".
The same can be said about the teachers (not Mr. Varden and Mrs. Livingston however). I've witnessed teachers in the lunch room talking about how much the dislike their classes. They talk about how they watch the clock and can't wait for the bell because they can't stand the students. I've seen them use worksheets from textbooks without ever looking over the worksheets ahead of time to ensure that it aligns with their curriculum. This enables them to put less effort into preparing for class. I've also seen teachers simply show an unrelated video to their class to "kill" class time and make the day go by faster. The elements that I witnessed at Westerly high school for both the teachers and the students are very similar to those discussed in the article that we read at the beginning of the semester.
All of these aspects of the "Game of School" I have witnessed around me but I have also witnessed teachers attempting to battle the GOS. Mr. Varden tries to break students of the mindset of "let's get it done and get on with it". He stresses the importance of understanding the material and understanding why the material is useful to them and to their lives. Mr. Varden prepares well for each and every class period and tries to keep the lesson interesting and keep his students engaged. He incorporates mini labs and group work so that the students can engage in hands-on and cooperative learning experiences. He tries to make the lessons engaging enough that the students won't want to constantly check the clock. Mr. Varden also does not give tests that are worth a ton of points. He doesn't want to pressure the students and cause stressful situations so he assesses them constantly so that each assessment is not a do or die situation. This helps the students to be not overly concerned with their grades. These methods seem to work because the students seem to be truly engaged in the lessons and they don't seem to be thinking about "getting on with it"
Reflect:
As I prepare to step in front of my own classes in the future, I will make a conscious effort to recognize elements of the "Game of School" around me. I think that if teachers are conscious of this it is easier for them to mend the situation and create a more effective learning environment. From the very beginning I will stress to my students that I care about helping them understand and enjoy the subject of physics. I want to help them come to see the subject the way that I do and appreciate the practicality and usefulness of the concepts. I will implement similar strategies to Mr. Varden and I will attempt to eliminate stressful situations in my classroom. I don't want to give any high stakes examinations but rather I want to give constant mini assessments that will allow me to gauge how much my students truly understand the material. By doing this I will help the realize that the grade that they receive is not the important part of school. I will also strive to make my lessons engaging and meaningful which will help the students forget about the GOS and become consumed in the topic of the lesson.
I am excited to battle the GOS in the future and create a learning environment that is truly free of all aspects of this game!